Somerset principal hired as special ed director in Dartmouth

Tuesday

Jun 17, 2014 at 12:08 AM

Auditi GuhaThe Standard-Times

DARTMOUTH — Controversy continued to plague the Dartmouth school system Monday night as members of the public criticized a School Committee decision to delay the planned hiring of a high school principal.

Members also disagreed on whether to start the process for hiring an interim superintendent immediately.

The Dartmouth system is in flux with no fewer than four top administrators leaving at the end of the school year: they include Superintendent Ana Riley, Assistant Superintendent Jana McHenry, High School Principal Kerry Lynch, and Special Education Director Linda Maniglia.

The committee agenda published early last week included an item to hire a new high school principal. That item was pulled on Thursday and it drew criticism from members of the public.

“I’m deeply disappointed that the School Committee has changed the agenda after people made plans to come here,” said Shannon Jenkins, political science chair at UMass Dartmouth and an unsuccessful school committee candidate earlier this year.

Superintendent Riley said the agenda was already too long.

School Committee Chairman John Nunes said he hopes to make the high school principal appointment next Monday. He also announced Superintendent Riley’s last day will be July 15.

The committee Monday night did unanimously recommend hiring Elizabeth Cabral-Townson to be pupil support services administrator (the special education director). Cabral-Townson, 32, is a principal at South Elementary School in Somerset. She also teaches at Providence College.

School Committee member Carol Karafotis said the central office is “not in a good place” right now, and Cabral-Townson would bring “energy and passion” to the district.

The meeting start was delayed for 25 minutes for a closed meeting (executive session) on the superintendent’s departure, according to Nunes.

Committee member Christopher Oliver recommended the board start the search for an interim head immediately but Nunes said members should send their recommendations to him and they could reconvene in a week to discuss the situation.

The delay in the principal’s hire drew pointed criticism from the public.

High school teacher Renee Vieira said the decision undermines the work of the search committee that whittled down 37 applications to recommend the best candidate.

She said she feared those qualified people may not be available if the committee waits to fill the position until after hiring a new superintendent.

“I am concerned we are going to be in a very bad place come September,” she said.

Matt Jones, a high school junior who was on the search committee, also expressed his disappointment and chastised the board.

“To disregard the selected candidate, who you have not met, is disregarding my time and the committee’s time,” he said. That person was not identified.